1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the underwater and deep water salvage of elongated objects such as pipelines, pipe sections, tubulars, risers and elongated beams and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for salvaging pipe, pipelines, risers, tubulars and elongated objects with a tool having jaws that can be opened and closed, special rigging and a cutting line wherein the tool can be lifted and lowered from a vessel (e.g., barge), the rigging includes a cutting line that is rigged to the tool so that the cutting line is rotatably supported and engages the pipe to be cut, and wherein movement of the cutting line (e.g., back and forth movement) saws or cuts the object (pipe, tubular, elongated member).
2. General Background of the Invention
In the offshore oil and gas well drilling and production industry, a problem exists when pipelines, pipe sections, risers, tubulars, beams, elongated members or the like are abandoned on the seabed or fall to the seabed. These objects must be removed as they can pose a threat to the environment, to fishing (e.g., shrimper's nets), and can be a hazard to navigation. The problem is complicated because such abandoned pipelines, risers and the like can be thousands of feet in length.
The following U.S. Patents and Publications are incorporated herein by reference:
ISSUE DATEPAT./PUB NO.TITLEMM-DD-YYYYUS2015/0114189 METHOD AND APPARATUS Apr. 30, 2015FOR REMOVING UNDERWATER PLATFORMS9,138,817METHOD AND APPARATUS Sep. 22, 2015FOR REMOVING UNDERWATER PLATFORMS